The Archer's Whisper
by Malaizjan P.J. Shultz
Summary: Vincent has been hit with Fear Toxin. But he sees someone that he swears is dead? Is he dreaming? Or was that encounter real?


The Archer's Whisper

By: Malaizjan PJ Shultz and Reina Grayson

**This fic will be the precursor to a huge fic that's coming. This one takes place when Delta Squad is 3 and 4 years old… **

Ian sat in the corner of the padded room as he was observed from his door.

His face was bruised up from his last attempt at escape.

"The patient still thinks he's Slade Wilson?" The blond doctor asked.

"He does."

"I know," Ian said out loud.

"Batman and his legacy must die. They are a threat to our dominance."

Ian nodded.

"He's at it again," said the blond.

"It passes."

"Bid your time. When I give the word, you will free us and then we find you an apprentice."

"I already have one," Ian said, smiling.

"Oh?"

"You'll see," Ian said.

The two doctors shook when they saw Ian's smile.

"Then there is no more I can teach you."

Slade then sat where he stood. He eyed Ian with relish. He would be ready to take out Batman...then he wanted the blood of the one that tried to take him down.

* * *

><p>That night…<p>

Vincent Crock-Harper lay low as he eyed Manta and Dymond. The two were in Star City, at a S.T.A.R Labs that was shutting down. Due to the lack of security, the duo got in easily. At the moment, Archeron was hiding in the vents above them, as they were in a lab that was cleared of all equipment.

"Where were we supposed to find it?" Dymond asked.

"Right about...here..." Manta tapped the wall near a power box twice and it opened.

Inside was a single disc.

"Here it is." Manta pulled it out.

Vincent's eyes widened.

"That's what he wanted? I swear, there better not be any sounds on that!" Dymond folded her arms, clearly not happy.

Archeron crawled away slowly and carefully, to get to a better spot.

Manta shook his head, taking the disc. "Ebon would be happy it was still intact."

"What's on it?" Dymond asked.

"The end of the heroes, he said." As the pair left the lab, an arrow landed at their feet and smoke burst from it. The villains coughed.

Vincent snatched the disc from Manta and ran out of the smoke.

Not looking, he ran into a wall. He got pushed back by the force of what he hit and fell on his butt. The disc was ripped from him.

Vincent looked up. His eyes went wide with fear.

"Hello, Archeron."

"It...it can't be," Vincent whispered.

A fist caught him in the face, knocking him out.

The mysterious figure glared with hatred at the unconscious hero. The figure then walked away, disc in hand...

* * *

><p>"Bro!? Bro, wake up!" came the voice from the darkness.<p>

Vincent was groggy as he opened his eyes. "Ow..."

"Someone punched your lights out?" Brian asked.

"Yeah KF. It wasn't fun." Vincent slowly sat up.

"So what did they nab?" Kid Flash asked.

"A disc."

"A what?"

"Before our time." Vincent climbed to his feet. "They got away with it."

"Not sway." Brian looked at his brother oddly. "You ok?"

"Sure. Let's get back."

"I got mine," Brian said as they walked from S.T.A.R. Labs.

"Wow." But Vincent was nervous about who he saw. He didn't say anything because he wanted to talk to Meygan about it first.

"I know, right?" Brian kept chatting away, him oblivious to Vincent's distracted attention.

* * *

><p>That night, after visiting Meygan, Vincent went to bed. He felt better about his talk with her and Meygan assured him that everyone was where they were supposed to be: dead and in prison. He was so exhausted as he fell onto his bed. His eyes were closed before he could think another thought.<p>

_Areina's signal ended at the warehouse in Bludhaven. Archeron looked through the glass windows on the roof to make sure he wasn't walking into a trap._

_Areina was in her Red Bird costume, unconscious and tied with chains to a chair._

_Vincent opened the roof window carefully and leaped into the building. Vincent had his bow and arrow out and ready as he went to the unconscious Areina. When he got his hands on him..._

_"So...the son of Red Arrow thinks he's going to save his sister?" came the hauntingly familiar voice._

_Vincent ran to his sister's side and fired his arrow at the chains._

_The arrow went right through her._

_"What!?"_

_"Did you think she was really here? How foolish..."_

_Vincent jumped when something landed behind him. He whirled around. His eyes showed fear. __**Absolute**__ fear. "You're dead!" He whispered._

_"It was a nice try." A fist came at him._

_Vincent ducked and swept his legs from him._

_The person arched his back, and righted himself. "You've improved."_

_"I haven't even started yet!" Just as Vincent moved, black glittery arms trapped him against a hard body and squeezed hard._

_He struggled against the grip as he tried to get free. "You're not getting Rave!" Vincent cried._

_"Dear boy...she's not my target. Not yet." The person nodded._

_The arms squeezed more, robbing Archeron of his breath._

_His ribs broke under the pressure. He cried out in defiance and fainted from the pain._

_The person stepped from the shadows. The prison uniform was unmistakable._

_The mask was unmistakable._

_Slade._

_He was alive._

* * *

><p>While Vincent slept…<p>

Areina, Terry and Max entered the mansion just minutes after Damian did. He dropped his bag on the floor to run to the kitchen, and Terry was the lucky one to trip over the bag and fall on his face.

Areina laughed.

"Laugh it up." Terry got back on his feet.

"Alright, we will." Max said, still laughing.

Damian then rushed by, picked up his bag and ran to the Cave. "You three need to head down! NOW!"

The Dynamic Trio headed for the Cave.

In the Cave, Jason was gearing up as Roy and Artemis were there with Bruce.

Artemis had been crying.

"What's going on?" Terry asked.

Roy looked at the three, then his eyes focused on Areina. "Areina...Vincent's missing."

Areina stood there.

Artemis started to cry again. "He went to sleep and then I checked on him and he was gone."

"Don't worry, fire bug. I'll find him," Jason said to Areina.

"What about Meygan?"

"Max...Meygan's comatose. She got some sort of backlash from Vincent and she hasn't woken up," Bruce explained.

"That's not possible," Terry said. "This is Meygan we're talking about."

"Whatever that backlash was nearly fried Meygan's body," Bruce said with controlled anger in his voice.

"There's no one alive that could do that kind of damage to Meygan...Deathstroke was the only one," Damian said. "I read the files," he added when the trio looked at him oddly.

"He's dead. Tim shot him dead," Areina whispered.

"What about his last apprentice? Monty?" Terry asked.

"Died in prison," Jason said. He cocked his gun. "I'm off. I'll let you know if I find anything."

Areina thought about what was going on, and Terry was wrong...there was one more apprentice after Monty.

"And the other one...Ian, Monty's grandson?" Max asked.

"You just read my mind Max." Areina said.

"In jail still. We checked," Artemis piped in.

"I'm going to double check, Ian's as skilled as Deathstroke and he knows all of our weaknesses," Areina stated.

"I'll go with," Terry offered.

"Areina...you're on leave from the team. I can take your place until your brother's found," Damian said.

"I'm going," Areina said; glaring at Damian.

"No. You find your brother. For me."

Areina sighed. "Ok. You take my place on the team. I'll stay with my dad."

"Go pack," Bruce told Areina.

Areina ran up the steps to pack.

"How's Dick taking this? With Meygan?" Terry asked.

"About as well as he did when Reiena died," Bruce said. He wasn't far from the truth as Dick was _DIStraught_ when he lost his sister, and right now his oldest daughter was not waking up.

"He and Kevin are guarding the girls," Roy added.

"I think if Jason finds the one who took Vincent and took out Meygan, they won't be walking," Max added.

"Nor talking..." Damian added.

"I'll be surprised if he leaves them breathing." Roy commented.

"Just find him. Please," Artemis begged.

"We will, Arty. Just have faith in him." Roy comforted.

"He is resilient; I mean he has you two as parents." Max said.

Just then, Areina returned to the cave ready to go to her father's house, and the twins were right by her side.

"We can guard the boys," Roy said. "I know Dick will."

"With Orin still out of commission..."

"It's ok. You boys can play with Iesha," Artemis offered.

"Awesome." The twins cried out.

"Get going," Bruce urged the group.

"We're getting thrown out of the cave," Max announced.

"Yep." Areina said.

Everyone but Bruce made their way out of the Bat Cave.

* * *

><p>Meygan shook her head as she cooked dinner. She waited until the meatloaf was done before closing her eyes. She then teleported away without telling anyone.<p>

Rave found herself at a warehouse owned by S.T.A.R. Labs.

Vincent laid there on the floor in his boxers, jerking periodically.

Meygan ran and put her hand on his shoulder, not caring if anyone else was there at the moment. "Red Hood?" she said after touching her comm link.

"Rave? What's wrong?"

"I found Vincent. Unconscious. I'm about to take him to Watchtower."

"How'd you know he was missing?" Jason asked.

"I…I didn't know he was," she admitted. "I felt something was wrong with the timeline. Like a glitch. Tell the others. You have a lock on my locale?"

"Got it targeted, little girl. You get him out of there. Jason out."

Rave teleported herself and Archeron out of that warehouse.

She arrived at Watchtower and went to Infirmary.

Vincent fought her as if he was having a bad dream. So she restrained him to the bed as he tossed and whimpered. She then set up an IV to go into his arm. She had heard that Brian brought him back after he'd been knocked out; that he had chased after Manta and Dymond while Brian dealt with Speed Racer. Something didn't feel right so she checked the computer and figured out what it was.

"Fear Toxin…how the hell did Manta, Dymond and Speed Racer got their hands on that!?" Meygan asked herself before running over to the next bed and pushed it next to Vincent's. She then climbed upon it and lay down, closing her eyes. She then reached out to take Vincent's hand.

* * *

><p><em>Areina slowly came to. Her head hurt from the two hits she took...<em>

_Red Bird tried to move from the hard surface that she laid on but none of her limbs were working. So she looked to see why-and she swore._

_She was strapped to a metal table. Her arms were bound above her head and her legs pulled to the ends of the table. Her hands and feet were encased in the same metal as the table, which meant no glowing hands._

_Areina summoned her fire. She felt her powers rise but the table and metal casings didn't melt. Not even the tiniest bit._

_"A-a...Areina?" came the faint but familiar voice._

_Areina turned her head._

_Vincent was about 3 feet away, tied down to a table just like hers, with just metal bands around his ankles and wrists, tied in the same fashion._

_"Vincent?!" Areina was relieved to see her brother, although he had been injured at some point._

_"He got you too."_

_"He?" she asked._

_There was fear in his voice when Vincent said, "Slade."_

_"It can't be him; Tim said he got a perfect shot in." Areina said; knowing what Deathstroke the Terminator had done to torment her brother for years._

_"I saw him. It's him. I don't know how..." Vincent grew silent, his fear all too real. "He's coming. Pretend you're out!" Vincent urged._

_Meygan watched as He entered the room, and he saw what was going on, but he knew better. "I know you're not out, Archeron."_

_"Bite me!" Vincent said, opening his eyes._

_"I knew you weren't Deathstroke; your voice gives you away!" Areina said._

_"Ah. Well, Drake missed my head." The neck portion of his costume was pulled down and there was the healed bullet hole. "My voice was altered. But you're awake Areina. Good...you can enjoy your brother's cries."_

_"Let me up off this table and see if I don't take out your other eye!" Areina said, a bat glare firm on her face._

_Deathstroke just ignored Areina and walked over to Vincent while he pulled out his hunting blade. He kneeled down and flipped some switch under Vincent's table. He then sliced Vincent's side, right along the rib._

_Vincent groaned as blood trickled onto the table._

_Areina struggled to get free, catching Slade's eye with a death glare._

_Slade reached out and flipped a switch under her table._

_The hum was a dead giveaway._

_Slade loomed over Areina as he stepped over to her. "I'm going to enjoy breaking you."_

_"How'd you take out Meygan!?" Areina asked._

_"Well, if you must know, it's that bond that your brother and the demoness share. It was easy to take her out as long as I tortured him enough."_

_"You-?!" Areina pulled on her arms in desperation._

_"But it pays to know a telepath...as a cautionary measure."_

_"Psimon." Areina stated, remembering the fight with Manta II._

_"Your skills are...worthwhile." Slade held up the knife he used to cut Vincent with. "I wonder...if you catch a cold..." He leaned down to cut Red Bird's costume._

_She head-butted him to keep him away._

_He took a step back. His eye flashed with intent._

_Vincent's table hummed to life and then the soft crackle filled the air. He screamed as electricity hit him full force. He arched his body as far as it could go restrained._

_"STOP!" Areina cried._

_It lasted another minute then it was cut off. Vincent fell against the table, panting in relief._

_"I plan to see you both again soon." Slade then turned and left the pair there._

_"You ok?" Areina asked._

_"Yeah." But her brother's response was weak._

_"Vincent...what does he want?"_

_"It's who," Vincent told her._

_"Uncle Dick. Figures."_

_"No…Mom and dad."_

_Areina paused._

_"He wants to take out all the archers," Vincent explained._

_"How did he find out that dad's alive?" Areina asked._

_"Don't know," Vincent said._

_"Then...this may really be Slade." Areina knew Slade had an issue with archers. But he always tried for her uncle first. What changed this time?_

_Meygan tried to make the dream world fade away to get Vincent's attention but she felt the sudden rush of pain and she fell away from them both, her cries too soft to hear…_

* * *

><p>Dick stood in the doorway of the Infirmary. He watched as Kevin had his head bowed.<p>

The first Nightwing sighed….Kevin was in her mind again.

Kevin lifted his head, his eyes returning to normal.

"Kevin. Go home to your girls. They need their dad right now." Dick walked further into room.

"She's my wife. And I can't protect her. She's burning up again and again…it's like she's fighting something we can't see."

Dick put his hand on his shoulder. "Your daughters need you, and you didn't fail my daughter."

"It came out of nowhere. She wasn't expecting it, whatever hit her." Kevin seemed deep in thought. "I'd hope to at least try to use her bond with Vincent to find him within his mind. But that didn't pan out."

"Go home. I got it."

Kevin sighed. "Ok." Kevin got up and walked out of the Infirmary, head hung in defeat.

Dick took the vacant seat next to his daughter's bed, deep in thought.

* * *

><p><em>Vincent and Areina were struggling against their bonds as sensors were placed on their bodies. Vincent's top was unzipped so the sensors could be placed.<em>

_Slade didn't have such an easy time with Areina's costume._

_So he took a new knife and cut her costume off of her, leaving her in her undergarments._

_"You're sick!" Areina cried, feeling the chill now that her suit was gone._

_"Perhaps. I'm curious..." Slade walked over to a panel and threw its switch._

_Their pain receptors were heightened against their wills. Both screamed as painful bursts of pulses hit them through the sensors placed on them._

_Vincent was still trying to break the metal bonds as his body's pain increased._

_The switch was thrown again and the pulses stopped._

_Both panted in relief._

_"I see now..." Slade turned to leave them._

_"Put a blanket on her!" Vincent said as Areina shivered._

_Slade looked back. "I think not." He then left._

_"Areina, hold on ok?" Vincent closed his eyes. Even though she was comatose, Meygan was his best hope to getting them free._

_Vincent saw that Slade had returned and was ready to carve up his sister and he pulled on his restraints._

_A power welled up inside him. He was shocked at its sudden appearance..._

_Then it burst from him, that dark blast freeing himself and Areina and threw back Slade._

_Vincent sat up at the same time Areina did._

_"Archeron?!" she cried, shocked._

_She then spat out blood and Vincent got pushed back._

_A bullet entered and exited from Areina from behind. That same bullet entered his mouth and exited the cerebral cortex._

_They were dead before both bodies hit the floor._

* * *

><p>From outside of the Infirmary…<p>

Areina was glad that her family was safe once again, but she did share one scar with Meygan. Her left hand went to her chest and she rubbed a spot near her heart. Jason had caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and that's when Areina walked out of the room.

Areina went to her room at Watchtower for a moment. She was happy that her brother was ok now, and that she had no injuries herself...but there were a few she had from her childhood. Some of the scars were from training when she was a kid, but there was one that she couldn't get over…the one near her heart. She'd had it since she was 11, and she'd never forget that day. Just then there was a knock on the door and Areina quickly covered up the scar.

"Fire bug…we need to talk about something." The person on the other side of the door said.

Areina knew only one person called her fire bug, and since she just met him a few years ago, they still had a lot to talk about. "Come on in, Uncle Jason."

The door slid open and Jason Todd came walking in. He sat on Areina's bed and she could tell that there was something wrong.

"What's up with your chest? You looked like you were thinking about the past," Jason asked. "I expect that from Meygan. But you…?"

Areina sighed. "Yea, I was. When I was 11; I was kidnapped and even after grandpa paid the ransom, the kidnappers shot me."

Jason knew she hadn't figure the whole thing out yet and she had a depressing look as she sat beside her uncle. "Areina; I know about the whole thing," Jason said.

Areina's look went from depressed to confusion. "What are you…?"

"It was members of my gang in Gotham that kidnapped you," Jason said; sadness in his voice.

Areina was shocked, but then she thought back to what the kidnappers had said. "You didn't know about it at the time, you were in Taiwan right?"

"Yea. I heard about it through the criminal underground grapevine. The moment I did, I knew it was the high ups in my crew and headed straight back to Gotham. Hell, I didn't even say anything when I first saw them; I just shot one of them right between the eyes."

"It's not your fault. But the way they talked, five million creds would have made you happy," Areina said.

"They came back with double that….what did you do?" Jason asked, knowing that Areina's smart mouth got her in some trouble.

"I told all four of them to bite me when they asked where my phone was," Areina said.

"So much like Roy…" Jason said as he laughed. "So why did they decide to shoot you?"

"When grandpa brought the money…they wanted five million more," Areina said. "You know; I remember feeling something was different in post op that day; you were there weren't you?"

Jason smiled…even when knocked out with anesthetic, his niece still sensed him in the room. "I had to make sure you would be alright. I promised Roy that I'd watch out for you. I did tell the three survivors that if any of them went after the Wayne or Grayson family that I'd cut off their nuts and shoot them in the head and heart."

Areina laughed; she had heard that Jason was ruthless back in his crime lord days, but then something came to her. "Uncle Jason…if it were another rich kid that was kidnapped and they back talked you…would you have shot them right then and there?"

"What makes you ask a question like that?" Jason asked as the shock was apparent in his voice.

"The 'leader' of the little group said that I was lucky you weren't there or you would have shot me right then after I told them to bite me," Areina stated.

Jason knew she wanted the truth, so he took a deep breath. "Shoot you…yes. I wouldn't have tried to kill you though. Probably just in the arm or lower leg, away from anything vital."

Areina didn't say anything and Jason was scared that she would punch him or something. "I guess that was who you were back then."

"It was; but even if I was who I was back then, I'd never hurt my family. I even helped save Tim that time Joker tortured him. Not only that, but I wanted to shoot Deathstroke so bad when he kidnapped Rei-bird to use as bait against Dick."

"So mom was right, you were still good deep inside," Areina said with a smile.

"Guess I was; but I didn't really show it," Jason said. "I thought it was a weakness…now I realize that it's a strength…But I can't undo what I did in the past…I can only look to the future…"

"Thanks for telling me the truth Uncle Jason. Just one thing…Hakuna Matata," Areina remarked as she got off the bed.

"Really…you get kidnapped by _my_ people and you're telling me no worries?" Jason said.

"You've put that past behind you, and you're back with your family. What happened was probably meant to be," Areina stated.

Jason thought about this, and he realized Areina was right; he did have a lot of problems from his past….but that was behind him now. "Alright…Hakuna Matata, fire bug."

Just then, a tiny knock came on Areina's door. "Mommy….Meygan's wide awake and acting really weird."

Areina opened the door and little Jason walked in. "What do you mean weird sweetie?"

"She was fighting off everyone, but it like she's tied down but when she woke up, she said she was fine..." Jason Grayson remarked.

"Oh no….not again," Areina said after thinking for just a moment about what was going on.

"What's wrong?" the older Jason asked.

"Whatever's happened to Vincent….his attacker or captor had used fear toxin on him."

"Last time didn't she break Terry's face?" Jason (Red Hood) asked.

"And that was when the toxin was **in** her…..we've got to get the antidote into Vincent." Areina said. "Jay, run and tell Uncle Dick to start the antidote…he'll know what to do."

"Okay, mommy." Little Jason said and with that he ran out of Areina's room.

The two heroes stood up and Areina was ready to go, but Jason immediately pulled Areina into a hug. He had so much to atone for from his criminal life, but he was starting to make things right. "Just wanted you to know that no matter what side of the law I ever was or am on, I'll never hurt my family."

"Thanks Uncle Jason." Areina said as she returned the hug. They then left out of the room to go check on the powerful Meygan Grayson then hunt down the one that hurt or took Vincent.

* * *

><p>While Areina and Jason Todd had been talking…<p>

Back in the Infirmary…

"NOOOOO!" Vincent sat up in his bed, sweating falling off of him.

There was running and then the Infirmary doors were open.

Wally and Artemis were in the doorway.

"Vincent!" Artemis rushed to his bedside.

"I'm...ok...mom..." He took gulps of air, trying to gain control of himself.

"Relax. Take your time," Wally urged.

"I...did...didn't..." Vincent was still shaken up by what he dreamed.

"Wally, get Roy and Dick," Artemis urged.

Wally was gone.

Meygan then gasped as she sat up. She looked over at Vincent and saw that his earlier restraints had been removed. She saw her Aunt Artemis comfort Vincent and she went to him. "It's ok, Vincent. It was just Fear Toxin."

Vincent grabbed her hand and squeezed it. He was crying too much to even say anything to her.

"Meygan, you okay?" Artemis asked for her son.

"Just weak. I had to…find a way to end it."

"A…Rain…" Vincent whispered, still shaking.

"She's alive. She's fine, Vincent. It wasn't real. It never was." But she was obviously angry that he had to deal with that. If it was the Light that was coming back to haunt them, then she'd have to come out of retirement for real to stop them once and for all.

Vincent saw Areina enter the Infirmary and he ran to her, knocking over Wally and Roy in the process. He hugged his sister for all she was worth, and he didn't care that he was crying. "You're really ok!"

"Vincent…of course I am. Terry and Damian are looking for Manta and Dymond. They injected you with Fear Toxin. A near fatal dose," Areina explained.

"Then…that explained…" he whispered.

"Meygan tried to wake you up but she got caught up in it too," his sister added.

Vincent knew that Manta and Dymond weren't alone. He saw someone else. That wasn't just fear toxin at work. But he said nothing to anyone. He had to find out if Slade really was dead…

Or had he come back.

Did Tim Drake miss?

Or is someone playing a sick joke on everyone?

Vincent was happy to see his dad and uncle as they walked in. "I need to see him."

"Who?" Dick asked.

"Slade."

There was silence.

"He's dead," Areina told him.

"I need to be sure. I need to see his grave."

"Vincent…it won't be a pretty sight," Roy told his son.

Vincent stared right at his dad. "I need to be sure."

"That fear toxin did a number on you, didn't it?" said Jason.

Vincent just glared.

"Vincent…I'll get Eolus and Carlos and we'll all go, ok?" Meygan said to her little brother, seemly better after trying to hit everyone.

She saw the stares everyone was giving her. She just rolled her eyes at them all. Vincent needed to be reassured. She hated that she had to end the dream that way but something about the way he was trying to hide something…whoever injected him was dressed like Deathstroke. And he didn't want to alarm anyone.

It was too late; she already was.

But it would be their secret…

*** I'm taking a break from this BB series. Because Reina Grayson is rewriting her Power Rangers fic, I decided to dust of my own Power Rangers fic and will start that. ***


End file.
